God’s Will and the Ocean: Episode 35

God’s Will and the Ocean
True Father Speaks on: Ocean Church and America, page 105-109
August 28, 1982, Provincetown

Leadership Training on the Ocean

I spend a great deal of time, precious time out here on the ocean. It is because I have such a vision for the future. I see that you are not disciplined yet. How can you inherit this vision? I am thinking of sending you one by one, or two by two, to the Suriname shrimping boats for a period of time. It would be good training for you. Once you go there you won't come back for two or four months. That's how long one trip is. I should also send you to Alaska. How about if I send you there in the winter time? You should be able to change back and forth. You should go easily from the land to the ocean. Those who have been out to sea for a while should go back and reinvest in the land. You will have more strength and enthusiasm for it. It works the other way around too; after a while on land, you should go out to sea.

The formula course for Unification members has been that for three and a half years you fundraise as basic training. The economic foundation represents creation and this restores your relationship with all things. This should be changed to two years of fundraising and eighteen months of ocean duty.

I am educating you here so kindly, but how about if you are hired to go out on the ocean in a large boat? If you go out with a rough captain on a big trawler, he will just throw you around. In that way, the captain gives you training. I myself would like to start out like that with you, but I know that if I start like that, no one will be left to finish. That's why I am giving you a nice introduction. Actually, we haven't really started yet. Anyway, all church members have to go through this kind of training. Each one of you has to go some place where your English doesn't work. You will have to use every other part of your body to communicate with the other person. You will feel lonely on such a boat and if you say, "Oh, I'm sick and tired and have to go home," there will be no way to go back. Then your experience here in Gloucester will be just like heaven. Do you still want to go on with this training course? One day this season I heard a sister shouting out to me when the New Hope went by, "Father, I want to be in Ocean Church!" She sounded almost like a crazy person. That's how we should feel.

We are preparing to have refrigerated warehouses in the major coastal cities. We would open them all tonight if we could find someone to manage these plants. However, you are not ready yet. I am wondering if you will be much different in three years time. I am depending on you American brothers and sisters. If you don't do it, then the European, Asian or Hispanic members will be mobilized to do it. I will mobilize the Asian and Hispanic members. If you Americans don't want it, then the minorities in America can earn the fishing industry. If you don't want it and don't like it, there is no choice but to offer this opportunity to minority members.

In Japan there is already so much preparation in fishing-related fields, but I want you to be the central people in this providence. That is why I have hope in the international Blessing. One way or another we shall do it. If Ocean Church can't do it, then Asian members in America will have to do it. I am giving you the best education now. You can learn something for your entire life. For ten years I have been working so hard to train you. If you gain success it will go far more quickly than if the Asian members have to do it.

The ocean has everything to do with the future. Don't you know that? You have to become interested in the ocean or otherwise you will just disappear into history. In the future, the qualification for leadership will be to know about the ocean. The basic knowledge will be how to handle a boat. To know about the ocean and to be able to go upon it will become the two basic  qualifications for leadership in the future.

You don't know so much about me. I'm giving every ounce of my sweat to maintain the prestige of America in the world. How many days could you continue, working at such a pace? Are you thinking about sleeping each day you go out? Are you playing every day, just looking around and thinking about the pretty boats? Don't just be light and say, "Oh I love the sea!" It's actually very difficult to really love the sea.

I want to send the brothers to Suriname and train you there, then bring you back and make you into captains of a large boat. I have been thinking about that for three years, but I look at you and you are already tired with just the One Hope boats. In Alaska, the thirty knot winds are nothing. That's normal—a calm day. On rough days, you don't even see other boats between the waves, maybe just the highest light. Think about that. Think about the couple who would live in that situation. How wonderful it would be. They could be loving each other in that kind of weather. That's really exciting, isn't it? The way you live all depends upon what you think. It depends on how you look at it. If your spirit is willing and joyfully giving for the cause, you can do anything.

If I had not come to America with that kind of spirit, our movement could never have spent the millions of dollars that it has already invested in so many programs. We are even spending and investing more now. And yet, at the same time I am accused of hiding tax money from the government. It is exactly opposite to reality, but they can't see that yet. It doesn't make sense. We spent more than four million dollars for the last science conference and almost two million dollars for the World Youth for God conference and world tour. Tax evasion? It's really a great mistake that America judged me that way. However, I only answered the judge with a smile. I have no grudge against America. That is the kind of man leading you. No matter what kind of persecution comes towards me, I will just stand where I am. Nothing will move me from the will of God. This is happening in the free world. What do you think the Communist world would like to do? They are really against me. I am the most fearful person to them. Why? Because they cannot defeat this ideology. Instead, our ideology can easily defeat them, so they will come against me at every opportunity. You will see it. We have to work in every field to bring salvation to America. 

Religion is the center or the core of our life, but we cannot be separate from all these other areas such as education, business or politics. That is why America cannot understand me. They cannot see in such a large way. I have had to focus on the court case rather than many other more important projects. However, it is not just my own battle; it is to educate you, to educate America. I have to fight.

It is an indemnity course, but by following it, I will become even more famous. The same principle applies to you. Here in Gloucester you receive persecution, but if you keep working hard, the public will begin to see you as you really are. Are you a dirty boat Moonie, or are you absolutely clean and orderly? I should inspect each boat and make sure. I have a great idea and a great concept for your life. How many of you want to go to South America and receive training? The best training is to go to another country and receive your training from that low, lonely place. After receiving your training, you should then come back and work very hard for America. When you fish in South America it takes several months to fill the quota which means you are out fishing for at least one month before you even get to where the fish can be caught. Here you complain about what kind of breakfast or dinner you have, but out there you can't complain about the food. Out there you might get a letter from your lovely wife, but the captain won't let you have it until the end of the fishing period. Even if you are upset about that, nothing will be done to change it. On those boats, there are about thirty crew members. Think about their life. When you come back from fishing, there are thirty families waiting for the crew member. Everything depends on the work that they did, how much they caught. It depends on their result; they have no choice but to work harder than other boats. I see that as really good training for you and that is why I am thinking of sending you down there.

I am going to do this anyway, so why don't you just catch the spirit quickly? Don't just wait for it. I am thinking about sending one or two persons immediately to Suriname after this summer, or Berlin. The German fishermen also go out into the cold, harsh seas for three or four months duty. After that, if you are still willing to serve the ocean providence, you are truly ready to be an Ocean Church member. After you come back from that experience, if you still want to serve the ocean, I will choose you. Then, you can someday be trusted with a large fishing boat and a fishing career as a captain. I have great hope for the ocean. I have great hope for all of you. I would like to send you out and have you come back ready to serve America and become a great leader.